The annual Hoboken Italian festival, now in its 83rd year, is an end-of-summer tradition that draws over 60,000 people to the Hoboken waterfront for four days of Italian food and entertainment.

Come for the Madonna, stay for the food.

History of the feast:

The origin of the celebration, held in honor of the Madonna dei Martiri, dates back over 600 years to the town of Molfetta, an Italian port city on the Adriatic coast. Madonna dei Martiri is the patron saint of Molfetta, which was a returning port city for crusaders in the Holy Wars of the 1300s. Many hospitals were built in the town, where thousands of crusaders died. Hence the name, Madonna "of the martyrs."

To bless their local industry, fishermen and sailors of Molfetta would carry the Madonna through the streets of town. Later generations would later emigrate from Molfetta and the surrounding region to Hoboken, where the centuries-old tradition continues.

Carly Baldwin/Hoboken NowParishioners of St. Francis Church carry the Madonna through Hoboken in festivals past.

At 2 p.m. on Feast Day, Saturday, Sept. 12, the highlight of the festival is the procession of the 800-pound Madonna through the streets of Hoboken. Parishioners of St. Francis Church will place the Madonna on a ferry, not in the Adriatic Sea, but in the Hudson River, at Lackawanna Plaza. The boat will be sent out into New York Harbor, as part of the Blessing of the Fleet.

"Molfetta, Italy shares a lot of characteristics with Hoboken, right on the seaport with a shipping past," said Dan Altilio, 47, a member of the 100-year old Society of the Madonna dei Martiri. "We wind the saint through the streets of Hoboken and it's a very emotional time -- look how beautiful this is, this tradition. Families have been doing this generation upon generation."

"When the Madonna comes out, you think, 'My uncle used to carry this back in the 1940s.' It becomes a very personal, but public moment," he continued.

The Blessing of the Fleet will be followed by fireworks off Pier A on Saturday night.

Also at the festival:

Jersey Journal file photoCannoli for the cannoli-eating contest will be sponsored by Carlo's Bakery.

There will be a pizza-eating contest on Thursday night and on Saturday, a cannoli-eating contest, with cannoli provided by Carlo's Bakery, of the hit show "Cake Boss."

On the final day of the festival, Sunday, Sept. 13, watch the Hoboken Police Department take on Hoboken firefighters in a grape-stomp contest. Later that night, Lee Logan & The Legendary Drifters will sing The Drifters original hits such as "Under The Boardwalk" and "This Magic Moment."

Location and times:

The Feast of the Madonna dei Martiri will be held in Sinatra Park, at 500 Sinatra Drive. The Festival will be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 12:00 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.